Resources for Early Childhood Professionals

Great disparities exist among early care and education professionals throughout Texas.  Early childhood professionals work in public schools, Head Start centers, child care centers and homes, as well as other settings.  They work as teachers, assistants, trainers, consultants, mentors, directors, behavioral specialists, etc., and their credentials may range from GEDs to Master's degrees in child development.

The Texas Early Learning Council recognizes that in order to improve school readiness in Texas, efforts must be made to strengthen the workforce serving young children.  Research is clear that the most critical element in supporting school readiness in the classroom is the quality of the interactions between children and the adults that work with them.  Therefore, it is critical that any effort to improve the quality of early care and education include a focus on the workforce.  The Council will commit significant resources to empower and strengthen the early care and education workforce in Texas.  Efforts of the Council in this area include:

• Develop an Early Childhood Education Career Development and Registry System. The Texas Early Learning Council will build on the work of the Texas Early Care and Education Career Development System (TECECDS) to support the creation of a cross sector professional development system for early childhood professionals.  This system will include a robust online workforce registry for practitioners, directors, and other early care and education professionals in Texas.
• Develop an Early Childhood Education Provider Career Ladder, which will define levels of knowledge and skill mastery for various roles within the early care and education profession and identify steps for advancement through the workforce.  The Ladder will recognize and reward higher levels of preparation and mastery of practice to promote higher quality services for children.
• Enhance the current Texas Core Knowledge and Skills Areas into new Core Competencies for early care and education professionals to include areas specific to the experience of the learner (beginner, intermediate, and advanced).  In addition, the Council will add core competencies for early care and education coaches, mentors, and consultants.
• Conduct a provider compensation study.  The Council will provide practitioners and others with precise knowledge of the wage market for early care and education professionals, so that individuals and organizations will have key information to inform their workforce and professional development decisions.
• Provide examples of articulation agreements to 2 and 4 year higher education institutions.  These agreements would span from community-based training to community colleges to universities.  Often a key barrier for early childhood professionals is that their on-going training and professional development efforts are not compatible with higher education requirements.  The Council will also identify and promote model sites that demonstrate effective education transitions.

The Texas Early Learning Council will work closely with the Texas Early Care and Education Career Development System Council to accomplish many of these goals.  A key goal of the Texas Early Learning Council is to increase awareness of and support for the TECECDS as Texas' state professional development system.

Texas Early Care and Education Career Development System (TECECDS)

The Texas Early Learning Council is committed to supporting and enhancing many existing initiatives, including the Texas Early Care and Education Career Development System.

TECECDS began in the early 1990s as a system that would recognize and promote the skill advancement among early care and education professionals.  In 1993, a proposal and framework for a Texas Career Development System was developed.  The proposal consisted of a three-pronged approach: professional standards, a coordinated training system, and a personnel and credentialing system.

TECECDS' goal is to clarify career paths and choices within the Early Care and Education profession.  TECECDS also hopes to obtain statewide recognition and transferable college credits for training and coursework provided by Texas registered trainers. In partnership with the Texas Early Learning Council, TECECDS hopes to provide an avenue for early childhood practitioners and administrators to pursue their professional development along a path of increasingly complex education and skill levels.  Currently, TECECDS offers components such as an Advisory Council, a standardized set of core knowledge and skills for early childhood practitioners, administrators, and trainers; a trainer registry database and a resource website.

Please see what the Texas Early Care and Education Career Development System has to offer!

The following resources are for informational purposes only. No official endorsement of any practice, publication, program, or individual is intended or is to be inferred. Online programs, course offerings and Web page addresses change frequently, so the information contained in this list may have already changed. Please check with your local and state licensing agency to be sure the online courses or programs you are interested in will meet your licensing requirements. If you plan to transfer credits from online courses into a degree program, be sure the college or university granting the degree will accept the credits and courses prior to enrolling.

The Texas Trainer Registry (TTR) is a component of the Texas Early Care and Education Career Development System (TECECDS). It is a web-based, searchable database that lists approved Texas-based trainers (mostly) in the field of early childhood/child development and their courses. The list of training courses, include those for administrators and practitioners and all listings are searchable by Trainer, County, and Core Knowledge Area. The trainers in the TTR are assigned levels based on their educational qualifications and their experience as trainers. The TECECDS and the Texas Trainer Registry are voluntary systems.

Benefits of the Texas Trainer Registry:

The Texas Trainer Registry will provide Center Directors with a list of quality trainers in the field, in order to meet the professional development needs of their offer their early care and education providers with the skills needed to serve their clients.

The Texas Trainer Registry offers Trainers an opportunity for joining the only organization in Texas specifically geared to professionals in this role. Also, the Texas Trainer Registry is a key marketing tool, which increases the opportunity for centers or sponsors to find and hire them to train.

How do trainers apply to be listed on the Texas Trainer Registry?

Joining the TTR is a six step process that includes
(1) Completing the TTR orientation (on-line or face-to-face)
(2) Completing the Trainers Qualification Application packet
(3) Submitting one complete Trainer Proposal packet
(4) Providing evidence of training or courses in topics on Adult Learning/Adult Education,
(5) Including a check or money order of $40.00, and
(6) Submitting all information and documentation to TECECDS